Navigating Black womanhood in social work: insights from a collaborative autoethnography

This study examines the underexplored experiences of Black women practitioners in social work through collaborative autoethnography grounded in Afrocentric principles. It addresses how systemic anti-Black racism and gendered surveillance shape professional identities and daily practice. Three themes emerge: the policing of Black bodies within the profession; the impact of anti-Black racism; and the complex role of representation. Findings underscore the need to center Black women’s voices in social work to resist erasure and white supremacy. Collaborative autoethnography offers a healing methodology and affirms the necessity of safe, affirming professional spaces.